For containers integrated into production systems with manually openable lids and with a media feed line for cleaning, in particular spray rinsing the container, for a hot water supply or the like, common safety requirements according to the machinery directive require suitable technical measures to avoid personal injuries occurring due to faulty operation. This risk arises in principle where containers are opened during the supply of hot water, aggressive cleaning agents, or similar media. A particular risk there arises from spray heads which distribute, for example, hot water or cleaning agents under pressure over a large area.
This problem is encountered in the food industry, in particular in the beverage industry, in particular with containers for dosing small quantities such as, for example, in a brewery with hops addition containers, additive containers or generally with containers for dosing additives during brewing. In principle, however, this applies to all containers in which manual handling of the lids is practicable.
Safety devices known from prior art are mostly configured to be electrical. Faulty opening of controllable shut-off fittings in supply lines can be recognized by way of sensors detecting the opening state of the lid, as known for example from WO 2012/079746 A1, and electrical signal transmission. In addition, signals from the door switch can in system controllers programmable from memory be transmitted in order to prevent inadvertent opening of supplying shut-off devices by appropriate signal processing. The inadvertent opening of supplying shut-off devices can also be prevented by way of electrical hardware wiring.
However, an electrically controlled lid guard is complex due to the necessary hardware, software programming and the comparatively complex start of operation.
In addition, such electrical lid guard requires flawless operation of the entire control circuit, including the door switch, various signal lines, the central control unit and possibly employed electrically controlled pilot control devices for pneumatically controlled shut-off devices. The likelihood of failure of individual components adds up. Safety-relevant problems can additionally arise from interfaces between system components from different suppliers.
As an alternative to an electrical lid guard, padlocks for purely mechanical protection are used. However, they merely ensure the authenticity of the key in the operator's hand, but do not provide any protection against faulty operation.
A safety closure can according to WO 2012/079746 A1 alternatively be configured to be substantially two-stage in order to first enable pressure relief or the like by limited opening and to thereby prevent the lid from bursting open in an uncontrolled manner. However, an electrical door switch is also in this context additionally used.
There is therefore a need for a reliable and technically simple safety closure which prevents uncontrolled and/or inadvertent and/or faulty opening of a mechanically actuated lid on a container with a media supply line for safety-relevant media such as, for example, cleaning agents.
This object is satisfied by a safety closure configured for or on a container with a media supply line. The container is, in particular, a dosing container. The media supply line may be used for spray rinsing the container, in particular for cleaning such as in the CIP (cleaning-in-place) method.
The safety closure comprises: a lid which can be actuated, in particular, mechanically actuated, for closing the container; a shut-off device for shutting off the media supply line; a pivoting lever with an actuating arm for placing the lid on the container and with an opposite first locking element; and a second locking element which is drive-coupled to the shut-off device and, which as a stop for the first locking element being selectively operative when the shut-off device is open, is configured such that the lid cannot be opened.
This is to be understood as meaning that the non-opened lid acts as a splash guard from the interior of the container to the exterior. As a result, operators are protected against scalding and/or chemical burns during spray rinsing of the container with liquid media and/or disinfectants which could otherwise escape when the lid is open and the shut-off device is open.
The first locking element is, for example, a lever arm or a disk. The second locking element is configured in such a way that it mechanically blocks the first locking element when the shut-off device is open and thereby prevents the lid from being lifted, thereby providing a splash guard. The pivoting lever may be between the actuating arm and the first locking element mounted rotatably, in particular about a horizontal tilting axis.
The actuating arm may be connected to the lid, for example with a joint. As a result, the lid can be lifted in a manner suspended from the actuating arm. However, an actuating arm detachable from the lid is also conceivable, which for closure engages, for example, in a groove formed in the lid.
The shut-off device may be a disk valve, in particular a manually operated manual flap. Furthermore, other functionally suitable shut-off devices, such as a ball valve or the like, can also be employed. The second locking element may be fixedly connected to the shut-off device, for example having a positive-fit connection to a handle formed on the shut-off device.
In one embodiment, the second locking element is also configured such that the first locking element blocks the shut-off device in a closed position by way of the second locking element when the lid is open. Accordingly, the second locking element is configured such that it releases the first locking element only when the shut-off device is closed.
The lid can therefore be opened only when the shut-off device is closed. Accordingly, the shut-off device can only be opened when the lid is closed. The container and lid are configured and dimensioned in such a manner that the unlocked lid can be manually opened, in particular to fill a product component and/or a product additive.
In at least one example, the second locking element comprises a recess which, when the shut-off device is closed, is aligned flush with the first locking element such that the first locking element tilts into the recess when the lid is opened. When the lid is open, the control lever engages in a positive-fit manner into the recess and prevents the shut-off device from opening.
In at least one example, the second locking element is a locking disk with a recess for the first locking element. The locking disk can be coupled to the shut-off device in a simple fixedly connected manner or by way of a gear. The recess enables a technically simple and reliable positive-fit connection to the first locking element.
In at least one example, the first locking element comprises a recess for the second locking element. The first locking element is then in particular configured as a disk and can be pivoted together with the lid about a vertical axis of rotation.
The second locking element engages in positive-fit manner in the recess of the first locking element when the lid is closed and the shut-off device is open and therefore acts as a mechanically blocking stop for the first locking element which prevents the lid from opening. Conversely, the first locking element can for opening the lid only be pivoted/rotated into the recess of the second locking element when the shut-off device is closed.
In at least one embodiment, the second locking element is movable about an axis of rotation which is oriented orthogonally to a pivot axis of the pivoting lever. This enables simple changeover between a stop of the first locking element against the second locking element and positive-fit engagement of the first locking element into the recess of the second locking element.
In at least one embodiment, the shut-off device can be opened/closed manually by way of an actuating lever. The second locking element is then fixedly connected to the actuating lever. This allows for particularly reliable and simple locking of the closed lid or shut-off device by way of a mechanical lock, in particular without electrical or pneumatic actuators.
The container is, in particular, a dosing container. The lid may then be configured for closing a filling opening for a product component. Such containers with conventional capacity are particularly suitable for manual/mechanical actuation and locking of the lid.
A spray rinsing device for the container may be connected to the media supply line. The spray rinsing device comprises, for example, a pump and/or an overpressure supply line for a liquid medium, as well as at least one spray rinse nozzle within the container. This allows efficient rinsing and/or cleaning within the meaning of CIP.
An electrically or pneumatically actuated valve for shutting off/releasing the media supply line may be additionally provided. This valve is used for the centrally controlled supply of, for example, cleaning agents and/or water and is then configured in sequence with the mechanical shut-off device of the safety closure, in particular upstream thereof. This allows for central control of cleaning processes without obstructing the process sequence due to the securing by way of the mechanical shut-off device.
In at least one embodiment, the pivoting lever is rotatably mounted at the side of the lid on the container. The actuating arm of the pivoting lever then engages across the lid. The first locking element can then in a simple manner be arranged opposite to the actuating arm and reach into the region of the second locking element. The pivoting lever is mounted, for example, on a bearing support rotatable about a horizontal or vertical pivot axis. The bearing support can be formed on the container or, for example, attached to the media supply line.
In at least one example, the safety closure further comprises a lock for the actuating arm that is attached to the container in a position of the lid that seals the container. The lock can be configured, for example, to be pivotable, in particular about a horizontal axis of rotation in order to release the actuating arm for completely opening the lid. The actuating arm can thereby be mechanically relieved for sealingly pressing the lid onto the container.
In at least one embodiment, the lid is configured for manual opening/closing.
The object is also satisfied by a container, which is configured as a dosing container for a product component or a product additive, in particular for producing a beverage, with a media supply line and a safety closure according to at least one of the embodiments described above. Product components are, for example, hops/hops products, color beer, aromas and raw materials. Product additives are, for example, enzymes, lactic acid, mineral acid and filter aids.
In at least one example, the container is then configured for stationary operation in a production facility for foodstuffs such as, for example, beverages and, in particular, beer, and the media supply line is configured for rinsing and/or cleaning without disassembling the dosing container within the meaning of CIP. Cleaning the container can therefore, when the safety closure is correctly positioned, be performed automatically and without transporting the container and without assembly/disassembly of the media supply line. The production facility can, for example, be installed in a brewing house or in a cold area of a brewery. The container can in principle just as well be configured to be mobile, in particular drivable, and can be connected to a respective production facility by way of hoses or similar lines.
In at least one example, the container is configured as a hops delivery container. The safety closure can be particularly advantageously used on such a container, as well as on other containers for brewing additives.